Potting Medium Prep

[elitebettas]

Hi everyone,
Well, I['ve had bad experiences in the past with not "wetting"/soaking bark before potting my orchids in it only to have the dry bark desicate the roots and ultimately the plant. Well I soaked the bark in distilled water for a few days but instead of leaving it in the house, I put it outide. I guess it got too much sun and kind of cooked. Anyways, the bark smells a bit fragrant/sour. I figure this is from the bacteria breaking down the bark. I washed it off in tap water first, then bathed, soaked it in distilled water. Will this funny smelling bark hurt the Dendrobium I just potted it with?
Any help appreciated. I don't want to kill this Den, it has the best roots I've ever seen on a den, and want to keep it that way

[Ellen]

Exposure to sun shouldn't hurt your bark. What you smell may just be the odor of the bark when it gets warm. if you don't see anything growing in it, and it's not slimy or broken down, it should be OK.